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How hot was 2007?

The numbers are in: 2007 (from January till November) has been the 7th warmest year on record, according to the UK’s meterological office. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration puts it at 5th.

It’s easy to drown in these kinds of statistics, so let’s cut to the chase: the ten warmest years since 1850 have all happened since 1995. If it seems odd to release results for the year’s temperature in November (before the year ends), note that it comes in time to be presented at the UN Climate Change meeting in Bali.

There’s a nice crunching of the UK numbers in The Times, while Reuters rounds up some extreme weather disasters.

Those aware that there was some hyped controversy about records like this a few months ago might like to check out this Real Climate post.

The full report on the climate of 2007 should soon be available on the WMO website.

Cross-posted from Nicola Jones on The Great Beyond

Posted by Anna Barnett on December 14, 2007
Categories: Nicola Jones | | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

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A vague sort of climate pact for Asia

Leaders of 16 Asian countries, including top polluters China and Japan, committed to “stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the long run”, says Reuters. The ‘pact’, struck at the East Asia Summit (EAS) in Singapore, does not set caps on emissions or otherwise quantify what efforts might be made to reduce the impacts of climate change (though it does promise they will “work to achieve an EAS-wide aspirational goal of increasing cumulative forest cover in the region by at least 15 million hectares of all types of forests by 2020”); and leaders emphasized that economic growth remains a priority for them.

"Climate change has to be addressed -- but they cannot leave people in absolute poverty," Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told Reuters. "This is a declaration of intent, not a negotiated treaty of what we are going to do to restrict ourselves.”

The declaration is posted on the ASEAN website.

At the same meeting, Japan pledged to provide US$2 billion over the next five years in aid of fighting environmental problems in East Asia (Japan Times).

Behind-the-scene details can be found in the AFX report on Forbes’ website, which adds that the countries are in favour of nuclear power, and has some interesting notes on how a goal for reducing energy intensity by a set value was dropped after apparent objections from India.


Cross-posted from Nicola Jones on The Great Beyond.

Posted by Anna Barnett on November 23, 2007
Categories: Climate Policy, In the News, Nicola Jones | | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

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